Carrier latch retainer for autoloading firearms



March 19, 1968 w. 1.. DAHL ET AL CARRIER LATCH RETAINER FOR AUTOLOADING FIREARMS Filed April 5, 1967 [bye/7 Mrs Wa/te/ Z. Da/M, Mama: 6. Mart/0.

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'fra/wqya United States Patent 3,373,519 CARRIER LATCH RETAINER FOR AUTOLOADING FIREARMS Walter L. Dahl, Herkimer, and James S. Martin, Mohawk, N.Y., assignors to Remington Arms Company, Inc.,

Bridgeport, COIIlL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 627,785

7 Claims. (Cl. 42-17) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fire control mechanism for autoloading firearms including a shell carrier arranged to transfer shells from the magazine to the chamber of the firearm. A carrier latch is arranged to hold the shell carrier in a position to receive shells from the magazine. Shells fed from the magazine move the carrier latch out of engagement with the carrier to allow the shell to be fed to the chamber. A retainer is formed on the carrier to prevent the carrier latch from relatching the carrier prior to the shell being fed to the chamber.

Backgroimd 0f the invention This invention relates to a fire control mechanism for the type of autoloa-ding firearm having a tubular magazine positioned beneath and parallel to the barrel. In particular, the invention relates to a retainer for a carrier latch in that type of fire control which includes a pivoted shell carrier to feed shells fed from the magazine to the chamber. This type of fire control is usually found in autoloading shotguns.

A firearm of the above type is shown in United States Patent No. 3,200,710 issued Aug. 17, 1965, to R. P. Kelly et a1. One fire control for use with such a gun is shown in United States Patent No. 2,887,808 issued May 26, 1959 tov S. K. Janson vet al. This fire control has a hinged shell carrier and fails to make any provision to retain the carrier latch out of engagement with the shell carrier during cycling of the firearm. Failure to provide the carrier latch retainer of the subject invention can result in malfunctions due to failure to feed shells to the chamber.

Summary The subject invention contemplates the provision of a spring detent or retainer formed from a portion of the shell carrier of a fire control for autoloading shotguns. The retainer is positioned so that a feeding shotshell tripping the carrier latch forces the latch to deflect the retainer and snap in behind it. The latch once tripped and held by the retainer cannot rebound or relatch the carrier until the carrier rises and falls during the gun cycle. When the carrier rises it releases the engagement of the latch and retainer allowing the latch to return to its normal position latching the carrier after the carrier falls to its normal position.

It has been found that malfunctions can occur in autoloading shotguns not equipped with the subject invention. In a shotgun such as the one shown in Patent No. 3,200,- 710, mentioned above, equipped with a fire control described below but without the inclusion of the carrier latch retainer malfunctions can occur, particularly, if the gun is not held to the shooters shoulder.

When shooting the gun from the hip or in other unconventional attitudes, malfunctions may occur from an apparent failure to trip the carrier latch. It has been found that in such instances the shell being fed from the magazine under the impetus of the magazine spring, actually trips the carrier latch releasing the carrier so it can feed the shell to the chamber. In these unconventional attibottom of plate tudes, it is possible for the shell to rebound from the latch so rapidly that the latch re-enga-ges the carrier instead of remaining clear of the carrier. When this happens, the shell cannot be fed to the chamber and the gun fails to function. The incorporation of a latch retainer on the carrier positively locks the latch rearward so that the carrier will be free to rise with the shell to be fed to the chamber no matter what attitude the gun is fired from.

The timing of an autoloading shotgun is extremely critical. Firing from unconventional attitudes affects the timing and leads to the malfunction which appears to be a failure of tripping of the carrier latch. The subject invention insures that this apparent malfunction cannot occur. The inclusion of the carrier latch retainer infallibly times the gun regardless of firing attitude.

It can, therefore, be seen that the primary object of this invention is to provide means to positively disengage the latch from the carrier during cycling of the gun regardless of the firing attitude. Normally, these guns are fired in a conventional attitude but for law enforcement and military use the ability to be fired from an unconventional attitude becomes extremely important.

An additional advantage of the carrier latch retainer is to provide space in a standard receiver for 2% inch shotshells so that 3 inch shotshells may be used. The retainer prevents rebounding of the latch and thus provides sufficient space to allow feeding of the longer shells.

The carrier latch retainer further provides a means to produce a full automatic shotgun free from the malfunction problems set forth above.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1, is a perspective view of a fire control mechanism including the carrier latch retainer with some of the parts broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 2, is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the receiver section of a firearm incorporating this invention showing the firearm ready to fire with some of the parts broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 3, is a fragmentary section-a1 side elevation of the receiver section of a firearm incorporating this invention showing the feeding shell acting upon the carrier latch so that the carrier latch is engaged by the carrier latch retainer with some of the parts broken away for clarity; and

F-IGURE 4, is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the receiver section of a firearm incorporating this invention showing the carrier delivering the feeding shell tcla the chamber with some of the parts broken away for c arity.

Description of the preferred embodiment The drawings illustrate a fire control 1 including a trigger plate 2 upon which the remaining components of fire control 1 are mounted. Formed integrally at the 2 is a trigger guard 3. A trigger 4 is positioned to extend in trigger guard 3 and upward through plate 2. Trigger 4 is mounted on pivots 0n trigger pin 5.

Attached to trigger 4 is a connector 6 which is arranged to contact the sear 7 and disengage sear 7 from the hammer 8 for firing. A disconnector 9 is provided to disengage connector 6 from sear 7 except when the firearm is in the closed position ready to fire as shown in FIGURE 2. In this figure the bolt 10 is in the battery or rcady-to-fire position with the firing pin 11 cocked and positioned to be struck by hammer 8.

The carrier 12 is pivotally mounted on plate 2 about hollow pin 13. Carrier 12 is retained on pin 13 by clip 14 and is locked in its normal pos tion as shown in FIG- URE 2 by carrier latch 15. Latch 15 is pivotally mounted on pin 16 which is in turn secured to plate 2. Latch 15 is biased towardmagazine tube 17 by means of a spring and plunger not shown. A portion of carrier 12 is bent upward to form a projection 18 so that the end of projection 18 extends into an opening 19 in latch 15 whereby latch 15 locks carrier 12 in its normal position.

A-carrier release 20 is pivotally mounted on a pin 21 which is secured to carrier 12. Release 20 projects below carrier 12 for manual depression and has an arm 22 projectingupward to engage latch 15. Depressing release 20 disengages carrier projection 18 from latch 15 so that carrier 12 can be raised to allow shells to be fed to magazine tube 17.

As originally conceived the carrier latch retainer 23 was formed in the right leg 24 of carrier 12. In this version retainer 23 was formed by making a single vertical cut in leg.24 and a triangle of metal was bent in to be positioned behind latch 15. When latch 15 was forced rsarward, leg 24 would spring outward allowing latch 15 to move behind retainer 23. Latch 15 would, therefore, be latched behind retainer 23, until carrier 12 was lifted to clear the engagement of latch 15 and retainer 23.

In the preferred embodiment shown, retainer 23 is formed in the left leg 25 of carrier 12. This is done by making a long cut substantially parallel to the top of leg 25 and bending the end of the spring leaf thus formed in behind latch 15. Upon rearward movement of latch 15. retainer 23 will spring outward by the camming action of latch 15. As soon as latch 15 has cleared retainer 23 the end will spring in to engage latch 15 and maintain out of engagement with carrier 12. It can, therefore, be seen that retainer 23 renders the firearm insensitive to variations in feeding shell velocities.

Reference may now be made to FIGURES 3 and 4, wherein, the operation of retainer 23 is shown. In FIG URE 3, a feeding shell 26 is shown on carrier 12 after being delivered from magazine tube 17. When shell 26 is transferred from magazine 17 to carrier 1.2 its momentum will cause it to move latch 15 rearwardly until it has cleared retainer 23 and is maintained in the rearward position by retainer 23. This relationship will be maintained until carrier 12 rises to deliver shell 26 to the chamber 27 formed in the barrel 28 and falls once again to its normal position. This motion takes place during each cycle of the firearm.

In FIGURE 4, carrier 12 is shown in position to feed shell 26 to chamber 27. Carrier 12 holds shell 26 in a position where it will be moved into chamber 27 by bolt returning to the battery or ready-to-fire position. As carrier 12 rises retainer 23 rides upward on latch until it reaches the cutout 29 at which time latch 15 is no longer engaged by retainer 23 and is forced forward to its normal position by the biasing spring and plunger not shown. Once carrier 12 has returned to its normal position by the force of the carrier dog 30, the firearm is ready to fire once again. Dog 30 pivotally mounted on plate 2 is forced forward by a spring and plunger not shown after bolt 10 returns to battery position. The movement of bolt 10 rearward during cycling of the firearm cams dog 30 rearward out of engagement with carrier 12.

It can thus be seen that provision of retainer 23 provides positive retention of latch 15 during shell feeding so that feeding malfunctionsby failure to release carrier 12 are eliminated.

We claim:

1. A fire control mechanism for autoloading firearms comprising a trigger plate, a shell carrier pivotally mount ed on said trigger plate and positioned to receive shells fed from a magazine, a spring finger retainer formed in one side of said carrier, a carrier latch pivotally mounted on said trigger plate and passing through an opening in said carrier adjacent said finger, said finger positioned with its free end behind said latch.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said carrier has an arm formed therein positioned to engage said latch so that said latch prevents movement of said carrier, said latch is moved rearward by the motion of a feeding shell to free said carrier, said rearward movement of said latch positions said latch behind said retainer, whereby, said retainer maintains said latch free of said carrier until said carrier rises during the firearm cycle releasing said latch from said retainer.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said retainer is formed in the right leg of said carrier.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said retainer is formed in the left leg of said carrier.

5. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein, a latch release is pivotally mounted on said carrier, said release having an upright arm engaging said latch, whereby, manual depression of said release disengages said latch and said carrier.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein, said retainer is formed in the right leg of said carrier.

7. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein, said retainer is formed in the left leg of said carrier.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

